Musical instrument



July 15, 1924.

' A; J. REGER MUSICA L INSTRUMENT Fi O h 24. "1921 2 SheLs-Sheel 1 'lllJuly 15, 1924.

A. J. REGER MUSICAL INSTRUMENT iled oct- 24. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 -FIa,.3.

HIHIIH a nnuII-; l-uua JIIIIIWli My Adam Cf Be a iillllil Patented July15, 1924.

UNITED STATES ADAM J. 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Application filed 0ctober'24, 1921. Serial No. 509,952.

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, ADAM J. Rnenma citi- Zen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMusical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to provide an improved musical instrumentof the type including a flexible tension head of skin, parchment or thelike such for example as the well known head of a banjo; my inventionincluding improved means whereby the tension of the head can be readilyVaried.

' Another object is to make the parts of my invent-ion of durable andcomparatively simple construction. 1 7

These objects, and other advantageous ends which will be describedhereinafter, I attain in the following manner, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of amusical instrument made in accordance with my invention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view with the head,strings, and facing ring removed,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view with thefinger board and headsupporting ring removed,

Figure 4 is an enlarged section taken on the line 44 of Figure 1, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, 6 represents a shell or case which has abottom 7 closed with the exceptionof a central aperture 8; said shellbeing open at its top and having a hollow extension 9 which provides aspace communicating with the interior space 10 of the shell; said space10 providing a large circular opening 11 in the top of the shell toreceive the head hereinafter described. The hollow extension 9 hasapertures 12 located at opposite sides of the finger board 13.

A head supporting ring 14 is preferably made out of aluminum and has aplurality of spokes 15 which lead inwardly to a cen-.

tral hub portion 16. This ring 14 is positioned within the case directlyabove a head tensioning ring 17. This head tensioning ring 17 is made intwo axially aligned sections 18 and 19; the sections being securedtogether by screws 20. The flexible head 21 extends over the ring 14 andincludes a folded part 22 embracing a core wire 23. The folded part 22is confined between the section 18 and the ring 14 as clearly shown inFigure 4 with the core 23 at a position below an internal flange 24 ofthe ring section 18; the lower surface of said flange forming a shoulder25 for abutment with the folded part of the head including the core 23.The ring section 19 has spokes 26 leading inwardly to a hub portion 27and said hub portion has an axial hole 28 which is screw threaded toallow a screw 29 to be inserted therein. This screw at its inner endengages within a hole in the hub 16 of the rin 14.

Substantially U-shape brackets 30 are positioned within the shell 6 andhave flanged ends 31 which are secured to the under sur faces of thespokes 15 of the head supporting ring 14; there preferably being locatedfelt washers or gaskets 32 between the flanges 31 and the spokes 15. 1The inner side surface of the shell 6 has grooves or channels 33 formedtherein for receiving the leg portions 34 of the brackets 30 at aposition between the head tensioning ring 17 and the inner portions ofsaid grooves 33. The transversely extending portions 35 of the brackets30 engage the inner surface of the bottom '7 and the brackets thus serveas a foundation for the head supporting ring 14 so as to keep the upperedge of said latter ring in a predetermined position relatively to thetop of the shell. The upper ends of the bracket legs 34 are bent at anangle and secured by screws to the top of the case. A facing ring 36 isplaced over the top of the case adjacent the peripheral edge of the head21 and can be secured in place by screws as shown in Figure 1. Strings37 are secured in the usual manner and extend over a bridge 38 mountedupon the head 21; said strings being connected tor the tuning ortensioning keys 39 in the head piece 40 of the neck.

If desired, positioning screws 41 can be secured within blocks 42 withinthe case; said positioning screws extending through holes 43 in the headtensioning ring 17 as shown in Figure 3. The screw 29 at its outer endhas an angular portion which can be engaged by a key or wrench tofacilitate the turning of the screw'and it will be noted til that byturning the screw the tensioning ring 17 can be moved away from the headsupporting ring 14 and the shoulder of the flange 24: will be moveddownward so as tomove the folded part of the head including the core 23and thereby stretch the head 21 and thus by operating the screw 29t-h'e'desired degree of tension of the head can be secured.

Also byproviding the hollow extension '9, the interior of whichcommunicates with the space'lO, the vibrations set up within theinstrument during the playing thereof produce'a resonance which isnovel.

While I have described my invention as taking a particular form, it willbe understood that the various parts of my invention may be changedwithout departing from the spirit thereof, and hence I do not limitmyself to the precise construction set forth, but consider that I am atliberty to make such changesandalterations as fairly.

tion, and means for moving the members relatively to each other toincrease or decrease thetension of the head.

I 2. A musical instrument including ameniber having an upwardlyextending ring shaped-portion, mean-s providing a support for saidmember, a head supported by the ring port-ionand having a portionextending around the outer side-of said ring portion, a member having aflange portion providing a shoulder for engagement with the headportionextending around the ringpoi tion, and means for moving the membersrelatively to each otherto increase or decrease the tension of the head.7

3. A'musical instrument including a shell;

ahead supporting ring within the shell; a

' head tensioning ring having a shouldered portion between said firstring and the inner surface of the shell; a head extending across saidfirst ring and having a part extending between sald rings with anenlarged portion below the shoulder of said second rlng; means forsupporting said first ring;

and means for moving said second mentioned ring to cause said shoulderto stretch said head, said supporting means including brackets securedto said first ring and to the case, said case having'grooves therein inwhich parts of saidbra'ckets are retained; substantially as described.

4. A musical instrument including a shell; 7

and operatively engaging the other ring whereby a movement of said screwwill effecta relative movement between said rings; substantially asdescribed.

'5. A musical instrument includinga shell;

a head supporting ring within the shell; a

head 'tensioning ring having a shouldered portion between said firstring and the in ner surface of the shell; ahead extending across saidfirst ring and having a part extending between said rings with anenlarged portion below the shoulder of said second ring, said secondmentioned ring havinga screw threaded hole; and a screw fitting withinsaid hole and adapted to engage the other of said rings whereby amovement of said screw will eifect a relative movement of said rings,said second mentioned ring being made up of sections, one of thesectionsincluding the shouldered portion and the other of the sectionsincluding thescrew threaded hole; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ADAM J. REGER.

Witnesses: Y

' CHAS. E. PoTTs,

ELIZABETH GARBE.

